


Your tears will dry when I hand you the key

by traumschwinge



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Emotional Manipulation, Inspired by James Bond movies, Knifeplay, Light Sadism, M/M, Psychological Torture, Smitten Erik, also some, just not exactly like that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-07
Updated: 2014-06-07
Packaged: 2018-02-03 12:39:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1744922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traumschwinge/pseuds/traumschwinge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once, just once in his life as secret agent Max Eisenhardt, Erik is distracted for a few seconds. And of course, that's just when he gets caught. And now he's captured and waiting for whatever devious torture his enemy might come up with. What he hadn't expected, though, was to be faced with his boyfriend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Erik cursed his own stupidity. He couldn't just have been a little more careful, could he. He just had to get himself caught on one of his missions, had he. And he definitely had had to check his phone because Charles had send him a message just to miss the two hulks sneaking up behind him. And now he would never see Charles again just because he had acted like he was new on the job.

He had no illusions about what happened to spies that got themselves caught. He never had. But things had changed two years ago, ever since he met Charles at the pool of any hotel where he was to gather more intell about a suspicious weapons deal. The Company had wanted to know why a rich private investor was suddenly so very interested in buying a used submarine. And, even more interesting to Erik's employers, why he wanted an old submarine that could be equipped with nuclear warheads. He had come up empty handed at the end, but hadn't been unsuccessful seeing that he had at least gotten Charles' number out of the mission. Oh and sex. The sex had been fantastic as well, though not as fantastic as seeing Charles again a few weeks later and going out on a proper date with him.

And now he was tied spread-eagled to some cold and hard surface, a bag over his head so he couldn't see. He had tried to struggle against his restraints at first, but long since given up. He had always had a good sense of time, needed it in his profession, so he could guess he must have been like this for almost four hours now. Long enough for them to make him stew.

He had gone over the things he knew so many times. It wasn't much what he knew. It had just been yesterday that he had gotten a call and had lied to Charles that he would have to leave for an important business trip asap because one of his coworkers had gotten sick and couldn't go. They had gained information about the Professor's—the now slightly less rich new owner of a submarine—actions. It had been suspicious enough for them to send Erik, in his undercover identity of the famous Max Eisenhardt, the agent that no one had been able to kill since the second World War—which wasn't strictly true, though Erik wished it was right now, some Max Eisenhardts had been killed in action before, there just always was a new agent to take his place.

For a while, he had wondered what the Company might tell Charles if he died on the job. Or his mother. Would they even tell them anything? They both thought he was a mechanical engineer working for a moderately big but not really well known company. Maybe they would tell them it had been an accident.

But those were not the thoughts he wanted to have. He was doomed either way, he didn't want to break. Let them let him stew with his own thoughts. He wouldn't give in. There were enough good memories he could focus on while he was waiting. If he could forget about the restraints, he could relax, maybe come up with a plan to get out of this alive.

When he finally heard a door open after one more hour, he was so tired of this all that he wasn't too sure if he hadn't fallen asleep for a while. His limbs hurt, as did his pride. He really only had himself to blame for this mess.

“So now we finally meet, Mr Eisenhardt,” a cold female voice said. Erik didn't recognize the voice, he only knew that it was not the Professor, couldn't be because the Professor was male as far as he knew. But he couldn't be entirely sure. He had never heard the Professor's voice before nor did he know what he looked like. “Let's take off that ugly hood, shall we?” the woman went on. “I've got something I want to show you, Mr Eisenhardt.”

The hood was removed. For a moment, Erik blinked against the sudden light, trying to make out more than the stars suddenly dancing before his view. He was in a small, quadratic room. There wasn't any more furniture than whatever it was he had been tied to. At least not that he could see. Maybe there were a few things on the floor for all he knew. Next to his head stood a woman, something that looked like the controls of an industrial lift in hand.

“Good morning, sunshine,” the blonde smirked. “I hope you're ready to see your present.” She pressed the button on the controls and whatever Erik was lying on slowly went from horizontal to vertical, until he was hanging from his bounds. His own weight pulled painfully on his joints. He was now facing an open door. “Bring him in, boys!” the woman called out.

Erik had only seconds to dread what may come before his worst fear came true. Lead in by the two hulks was Charles, wide eyed and clearly on the verge of panic. Suddenly, Erik found it hard not to struggle against the restraints again. The women laughed.

“Now, Mr Eisenhardt, I tell you what's going to happen,” she said. “You tell us everything we want to know and I won't hurt...either of you too badly. Is that a deal?”

“Eisenhardt?” Charles gasped. “Erik, what's going on here? Who are these people?”

Erik grit his teeth. Why the hell was Charles here. It wasn't supposed to be that way. Charles wasn't supposed to be in this part of his life. He should be at home and save and completely oblivious of Erik's other life as Max Eisenhardt.

“My oh my Max, my dear Max,” the woman sighed rather theatrical. “Haven't you told your little affair about your real identity? Wasn't worth even that much trust, huh?”

“Shut up,” Erik growled.

“Or what?” the woman laughed, slowly walking over to Charles and placing a hand on his shoulder. “You see, Charles, your dear boyfriend over here is a spy. His real name is Max Eisenhardt. He lied to you. Erik Lehnsherr, the man you knew never existed. And he has made himself some very powerful enemies. That's why we're all here today. And unless he's going to cooperate, it might hurt a little for you as well.”

“That's... that's not true!” Erik protested.

The woman turned back to him, raising an eyebrow.

“I...fuck, Charles, I didn't lie. I...she's got the spy part right, but the rest is not true,” Erik protested. He couldn't stand watching Charles' trust and love for him crumble before his eyes. “Charles, please. Believe me. My name really is Erik Lehnsherr. I didn't lie to you about anything but my job. Please, Charles, you must believe me.”

Slowly, Charles shook his head. He tried to take a step back but the woman held him in place. “No,” Charles murmured. “Why... I thought... Erik... This isn't just a mistake?”

“I'm afraid not,” Erik sighed. “Charles, I'm sorry. I only lied to you to keep you out of this. Please, if you can, try to forgive me.”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it,” the woman interrupted. “Enough chit chat. I want some answers. Who send you?”

Erik laughed. “As if you don't already know that,” he said. His mind was racing for something, anything to say so he could keep Charles save without betraying his employers.

“Well, of course, I just wanted to give you the opportunity to cooperate,” the woman said. “But since you aren't willing to, maybe you need a little more...incentive.” She unsheathed a knife from inside her boot and handed it over to Charles. “You will do as I say,” she told him, glaring into his eyes. Erik's hands curled to fists, nails digging into his palms. “As long as you do, nothing will happen to you, I promise.” She even ran a hand through Charles' brown locks, something that made Erik struggle against his restraints even more.

Charles swallowed hard at this. “What...what do you...?” he whispered, his eyes, dark and dilated with fear as they were, never leaving Erik.

“I want you to open his shirt,” the woman said. She let go of Charles' shoulder in favor of pushing him one step forward towards Erik. Charles looked up at him as if he needed his guidance, or just somebody to tell him that it was okay. So Erik nodded. He hated seeing his beautiful stubborn bright Charles like this, insecure and afraid.

Charles took the topmost button of Erik's shirt between two of his fingers. He took his time fumbling it open. Erik blamed his shaking fingers. He just hoped Charles wasn't drawing it out on purpose to keep him safe a little while longer. He had no idea how the blonde might react when she noticed that. After the first two buttons were open, Erik could feel Charles shaky breath against his skin. It made him wish he could see his face, could wrap him in his arms and tell him that everything would be alright soon. It would have been a lie and he couldn't hug Charles like this but he still wanted to.

“I'm so so sorry, Charles,” Erik whispered, soft enough, he hoped, that nobody but Charles would be able to hear him.

“Shush,” Charles whispered back, just as softly. “Don't make it worse than it already is. If you're...if we're good, maybe...”

“Did I say you could talk?” the woman interrupted him. “And hurry up, I don't have all day for this!”

Charles hurriedly undid the rest of the buttons on Erik's shirt and then carefully ran a soothing hand up and down Erik's side, only once and fast, but it nonetheless had the intended effect. Waiting for more orders, he turned to the woman again.

“Very well done, Charles, darling,” she said. “I now want you to take the knife and cut him. Nice and slow. But be careful not to cut too deep. We don't want him to bleed out too soon, do we?”

Erik swallowed. He had anticipated something like this but still...Charles had never before done knife work, as far as Erik knew. It was just too easy to do damage that wouldn't heal or cut too deep. Erik swallowed. He wanted to tell Charles that it would be okay, it was going to be alright, he wouldn't make a mistake. But the glare the woman shot him shut him up before he'd even opened his mouth.

“Now, Charles,” she snapped, a little impatiently. “Or had you rather we'd started with you instead?”

“No!” Erik cried out before Charles could say anything he might regret. “Just do it, Charles. I won't hate you for it. Just get over with it, Charles. I don't want you to get hurt.”

It still took another few heart beats for Charles to move. Slowly, like a glacier moving, he raised the knife to Erik's chest. “Would here be okay?” Charles asked, pressing the knife flat against Erik's skin, directly above his sternum. Erik held his breath. Charles wasn't asking him, he was looking at the woman, his whole body screaming with determination.

“There would be perfect,” the woman answered and Charles pressed the knife down, into Erik's skin. Erik drew as hissing breath. For somebody who had never done this Charles knew surprisingly well how to make it hurt. Or rather he didn't. Erik was sure Charles wouldn't hurt him this much if he knew what he was doing.

“Is this enough?” Charles asked. His voice was shaking, just like the tip of the knife still only fractions of an inch from Erik's skin. Erik had no idea how long the cut on his chest was but it hurt, everything burned between his collarbone and the lower end of his sternum.

“Quite,” the blonde said after looking at the cut. “Now, Max, I ask you one more time, who send you?”

“The BND,” Erik got out between his teeth.

The woman laughed. It wasn't very pleasant. “Nice try,” she said. “But you're lying. Though it's almost believable considering how we caught you. Charles, one more cut, please.”

This time, Charles cut the skin above Erik's collarbone, not deep or even long, but it still hurt a lot, especially because the hand holding the knife was shaking. Erik gasped in pain.

“Who sent you?” the woman demanded to know. “Last try before I'll have Charles cut himself.”

“CIA,” Erik hissed. “I'm with the CIA.”

“Good, very good, why didn't you say so before?” The blonde walked up to Charles, coming to a halt right behind him. She even wrapped her arms around him. Erik growled, low in his chest. “See, if your boyfriend plays along I won't ask you to hurt him. Or yourself. Let's hope he'll behave now. For your sake.” Charles was looking at the floor, unmoving in her arms. Erik wished he could look into his eyes and assure him it was okay, that he could take the pain for Charles' sake.

“I wonder what I should ask you to do the next time he doesn't answer my questions correctly,” she said and then lowered her voice to whisper into Charles' ear without being overheard by Erik. After a while, Charles gasped once. Again, Erik couldn't help but to growl. He hated seeing Charles go stiff in her embrace. “Be good, Charles,” she said, finally straightening up again and letting go of him. “I could send the onlookers away if you just behaved.”

Charles nodded, barely noticeable. The woman looked at Erik and then back at Charles for a moment before she turned and made a shooing gesture towards the two hulks. “See, Charles,” she said. “You and I could be friends if you just played along.” Charles looked at her when she said that and Erik wished he could have seen his boyfriends face because whatever she saw there made her smile.

“Now Max, tell me, why did you come here?” she asked, stepping away from Charles once again. She walked off to somewhere behind Erik. He could hear something scrape across the floor, like a stool being dragged over. Erik tried to turn his head far enough to look at her but he couldn't the way he was tied up. “Eyes on Charles, Max!” she snapped. “Charles, if you'd slap him, please? Just so he will remember this in the future.”

Charles open hand hit him hard before he had even had the chance to turn his head back. He slapped him hard enough for Erik to see stars for a moment. It almost felt like it wasn't just for show. But at least Charles was quick to reassure him that it was. “I'm sorry my love,” Charles whispered and Erik was sure he was just looking away so the woman couldn't see his face either. “Hang in there, will you? For me?”

Erik swallowed. His Charles was so brave in a situation like this and it was all Erik's fault and he still endured it, for Erik. If Charles could go on with this, so could he, Erik told himself. He nodded. He was almost certain Charles was working on a plan to get them out of here. He had always been so quick to adapt to any given situation. Hadn't it been for the dangers of the job, Erik would have told his superiors about Charles a long time ago.

Erik fixed his eyes on Charles. If that was what it would take to keep Charles save, he would do it. He would be glad to do it. “I... I'm here to see the Professor,” Erik growled. “I even have an appointment.”

“Had you now?” the woman laughed. “Charles, your thumb, please, in the wound on his chest, if you'd be so kind. Just press it down and rub a little, if that's okay with you.”

Erik gasped as Charles stepped up to him. Their bodies were almost touching like this. “I'm sorry, Charles, I'm so so sorry, Charles, I never wanted you to end up in a place like this,” Erik whispered, almost stumbling over the words in his hurry to get them out.

He drew in a hissing breath as Charles' placed a hand firmly on his chest, only an inch away from the cut. It was unlike all the times before when Charles had touched him like this in bed. But his heart raced just the same, with just the same amount of a different kind of anticipation.

It hurt worse and less than Erik might have expected when Charles pressed his thumb into the open cut. Worse, because it felt like Charles was driving his finger into the cut, widening it with what he did, and less because Charles had not yet started to move the finger. Small mercies. Erik panted from the pain but he was still far from being so hurt that he couldn't keep in his cries of pain.

“So, now that you have your appointment with the professor,” the woman said. “Why don't you stop wasting all our time and tell us what you know. I'm sure Charles would love to hear all about it.”

Erik swallowed. It really wasn't fair to use Charles against him like this. Not when he couldn't even think straight anymore with the pain Charles was still inflicting to him and the confusion coming with it. He wasn't used to be so conflicted about things like this. Usually, there was no gray are in his line of work, especially not when it came to torture. This situation now, though... his body still remembered all the other, if few, times he had been tied up before Charles. It was still a little confusing because Charles had never hurt him before. Erik carefully shook his head. His mind was drifting. He should be focusing on his current situation. Not thinking about all the things he and Charles had done before.

“Just tell her, Erik,” Charles whispered. Finally, finally he withdrew his finger from the wound, only to wipe his thumb on Erik's chest. Erik shuddered. “Tell her what she wants to know.”

“Are...are you the professor, then?” Erik asked. He had his eyes fixed on Charles but he was asking the woman.

She huffed. “No, I'm just his assistant,” she said. “If you'd now tell us what you came for. I'm sure if you dd, thing Charles does to you would only be as painful as the last, not worse.”

“Please, Erik, just tell her,” Charles whispered. He looked up at Erik with wide, wet eyes. “I don't want to...” He swallowed. “You have no idea what more's planned for you.”

“Charles,” Erik all but whimpered. “I... I can take it, I promise, don't make me betray...” He bit his lip. “Don't make me choose.” He didn't want to do this to Charles, but how could he betray his employers even more than he already had. How, when there possibly were so many lives on the line. But the other option was sacrificing Charles and that was something equally unthinkable. If only they had never found out about Charles in the first place. Where had he gone wrong, which mistake had he made that it had been only a matter of a few hours to find his boyfriend and abduct him to a reclusive island.

“I want a deal,” Erik croaked.

“A deal?”

“I tell you everything you want to know and you let Charles go,” he said.

The woman laughed. “I don't think you're in a position to ask anything of me,” she said. But at his words, Charles had lifted his head and was now looking at her, his eyes pleading. “You talk and Charles walks free, right?” she sighed. Erik was so glad how defeated she sounded that he almost missed the small nod Charles gave before she said, “Right, okay, fine.” She sounded exasperated. “Talk.”

Erik swallowed. He looked at Charles who smiled at him, only a little. However, it was enough to give Erik the encouragement he needed. He was doing the right thing. It was still wrong, but at least a little better than the other option. “I was send here to find out what happened to the sub,” Erik sighed. “The one you bought two years ago. We had intel that you have finally started to move and I'm here to find out what you've planed for a submarine that can be equipped with nuclear war heads. And if you already have some of those.”

“So you don't have anything?” the woman asked.

Erik shook his head. “No, you caught me before I could get anything,” he sighed. He really hoped that she would believe him. He was grasping at straws here and he couldn't go on bluffing with empty hands, not when it was Charles on the line.

“That's all?” Charles asked. He sounded...frustrated. Wait, why did he sound frustrated? That was wrong. Charles shouldn't sound frustrated that he didn't know anything. He should...

“Charles?” Erik breathed.

“What do you mean you don't have anything?” Charles hissed, punctuating each of the four words with a stab of his finger. “That can't... why would you... You're Max Eisenhardt, damn it, you don't get to come up empty handed!”

“Charles, what's going on?” Erik shook his head. This... this couldn't be what he was putting together now. It simply couldn't. “Charles... are you...” Erik swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “Are you the Professor?”

Charles groaned. He turned to the woman, ran a hand through his hair and sighed, before he looked back at Erik. “Did you figure that out just now?” he sighed. “Raven, leave us alone for a while.”

“But Charles...” she tried to protest but was interrupted by his, “Now, Raven! I call you when I'm done!” His tone was sharp, sharp enough that it even Erik twitched. Raven all but fled the room.

“What..?” Erik was about to ask Charles what was going on. However, suddenly, there were Charles' lips on his mouth and he was kissed as if by a drowning man. All he had left to do was to kiss him back just as desperately. His arms hurt from holding his weight for much too long. Both cuts burned, a constant undercurrent on his mind that not even the kiss could entirely drone out now. But Charles was kissing him. Charles was the enemy and he was still kissing him and he had not yet killed Erik and they were kissing and somehow the only thing that mattered was Charles' tongue inside his mouth as they kissed. Erik knew he was hopeless.

“Charles...”, Erik whimpered when Charles eventually pulled away. He already missed his mouth. But Charles shook his head. Again, he ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Erik had long ago learned to associate with frustration. He took his time to get his breathing back under control. Erik simply stared, making no effort at all to compose himself. There wasn't much he could do. His chest hurt every time he drew a breath. It took effort to breathe. Erik would have much rather kiss Charles again.

Erik was still staring at Charles when he turned back to him. “Oh, Erik,” Charles whispered. He took Erik's face in his hands. There was not much space between them again and all Erik wanted was to close that distance and kiss Charles again. At least kissing Charles made sense. He loved Charles. There was nothing wrong with kissing Charles. But Charles just held him where he was.

“Oh Erik,” Charles whispered again, even softer this time. “Why did you of all people have to be Max Eisenhardt? Do you have any idea how much this ruined my plans? Did it never cross your mind that you maybe ought to tell me that you're working for the enemy? Erik, I had plans. Plans! For the two of us. And now you've ruined everything.”

“What?” Erik croaked. “I still don't understand. What's going on?”

Charles raised his eyebrows. “...is that genius intellect part in your profile just for show, Max? I thought you had it all figured out.”

“I... you're the Professor. You want to... what, rule the world? And you have the means to at least threaten some of the most important countries into a war. A war they can't win because it's almost impossible to win a war against a terrorist,” Erik summed up. The remark about his intellect had hurt his pride. “I just don't understand where I come in.”

“Oh my dear Erik,” Charles sighed. He leaned up to kiss Erik's cheek and Erik let him. There was no point in turning away. “Don't you understand? I wanted you by my side, darling. As my... well, quite obviously not my Queen.” Erik yelped as Charles groped him to prove his point. “But my Prince, or Consort, or whatever.” He sighed. “But now... I can't have a Consort that works for the enemy, can I? And I doubt you would be on the take if I offered you Australia.... Would you?”

“What?” Erik was baffled.

“Be on the take if I offered you to rule over Australia?” Charles sighed.

Erik shook his head. “Sorry,” he sighed. He could just barely stop himself from adding, 'But I would be willing to be your Consort anyway just because it's you.'

“You do understand that I can't let you go, do you,” Charles said with a wistful sigh. “As much as I hate to hurt you, I'm afraid, Erik...” He let his hands run up and down Erik's sides. “I'll have to kill you.” He gripped Erik's sides, tight enough for his nails to break the skin there. Erik drew in a hissed breath.

“But,” Charles went on. “I would hate to be forced to do that. So... no, I won't kill you, my darling.” He petted Erik's cheek but his eyes were cold. Erik closed his eyes. This wasn't the Charles he loved. He didn't know this man. And yet it was his Charles. He loved him. He still believed to know him. The real Charles. Not the... megalomaniac or whatever he was posing as.

“Eyes on me,” Charles hissed. He slapped him again. “As long as you don't give me any reason to regret it, I'm quite in favor of keeping you. Granted, you won't leave my secret base and you won't be allowed anywhere but in the private sections of the house, but it's better than dying, don't you think so, Max? You don't have to answer me just now,” Charles purred. “I'll just come back later and you tell me how you've decided.” He breathed a kiss on Erik's lips before he turned to leave.

Erik swallowed a deep breath. “Wait!” he called.

Charles stood, but he didn't turn.

“There's one thing I need to know,” Erik said.

Charles tensed visibly. “Yes, Erik,” he said, his voice just barely on this side of audible. “I meant it when I told you that I loved you. I really did.”

“That...” Erik swallowed. His throat was dry from breathing through his mouth all the time. “That wasn't what I've wanted to ask.” He didn't need to. He knew Charles loved him. Just as well as he loved Charles. “I want to know why. Why do you want to rule the world?”

Charles laughed. “That's what you ask? Really?” He shook his head. “I just do. What's the point? Would it really be so much worse if I ruled the world? It's a mess already. And if I ruled, at least everyone would have the same enemy, wouldn't they?” He sounded bitter, resigned.

Erik didn't call out again when Charles opened the door. He closed his eyes. He knew he had made his decision before the door hand fallen shut again.

 


	2. Three years later

Erik stood in the dark and waited. Only it wasn't dark in the room, not exactly. Many small lights everywhere signaled that the servers were still running, some of them flashing as they should. But there wasn't enough light to speak of, not even enough to make out more than the vaguest outlines of the cabinets and the small desk. He only knew where the chair of the damn desk was because he had almost walked into it on his way to the corner in which he was standing now.

He was holding his gun, knowing that he would need it soon.

Today was the day. The date Charles had decided to let his ultimatum to all the nations he deemed especially annoying end on. Erik had been on edge ever since Charles had told about the ultimatum. He still wasn't trusted enough to get told about most of Charles plans. Almost none if he was honest. Erik knew that he would be the same with their roles reversed, but it stung. It still stung even though he has had three years to get used to this now.

He let his mind drift again, Erik noticed. With more force of will than he had thought would be necessary he brought his thoughts back to the boring now that needed attention instead of the very interesting memory of Charles just last night that definitely didn't need any closer examination. The way he was aware of the throbbing pain in the back of his tight was prove enough of that.

Two, three calming breaths.

There were footsteps coming towards the server room. This was the reason he was here. He had known it right from the start when Charles had told him about his plans. This day would end with blood spilled and all Erik could hope for was that it wasn't him bleeding out in the floor of the sever room.

Charles would be very mad with him if he did.

The door was getting unlocked. Erik hadn't bothered to lock it behind himself in the first place. Nobody ever locked the door to the server rooms. They were in a well secured area where nobody but those who also had access to this room were allowed in. The picks in the lock turned with an audible click. Erik carefully averted his eyes. He didn't want to go just as blind as the intruder if there was a fight. Every advantage counted. Erik smirked when he heard the click of the light switch. Disabling it had been the first thing he had done this morning.

“Mr Eisenhardt, I presume?” Erik asked, before stepping on the switch of the spotlight he had put up behind him. The man in the light just looked exactly like Erik had expected him to. Suit, slicked down hair, startled expression on his face that was more used to smug superiority. Erik had never seen him before. But it didn't matter. He wouldn't see him ever again.

  
  


BANG!

  
  


Erik went straight back to his and Charles' rooms. He still clutched his gun. His own heartbeat was loud in his ears, droning out everything else but the blood and the breathing. He shivered a little as he pulled down the handle of the door to their bedroom. All Erik wanted was a hot shower and a change of clothes now. And maybe a nap, a long nap, preferably with Charles to cuddle with.

Charles was waiting for him in the bedroom, fumbling with a tie. Oh, right, the announcement, Erik remembered just as Charles' eyes fell on him and went wide.

“Erik!” Charles would have yelped if international criminals yelped. “Are you alright? What happened?” And in a second he was with Erik, holding him by his upper arms and peering into his eyes, sapphires dulled with worry.

“Nothing,” Erik grunted. “It's not my blood.”

Charles raised an eyebrow. “That doesn't explain what happened, though,” he sighed. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he leaned up and pressed a kiss to Erik's cheek. “But that doesn't mean I'm not glad that it isn't yours.”

“I met someone in the server room,” Erik confessed. He rested his forehead against Charles'. “I couldn't let them ruin your work.”

Charles hugged him. It was a careful hug, but Erik could feel the affection behind it. It left a warm feeling inside his chest. “I love you,” Charles said. It wasn't something he had often told Erik in the past three years. The warm feeling spread from his chest like golden, liquid light. “How about you go and take a shower and wait for me in bed when you're done so I can reward you?”

Erik nodded slowly. “And you?”

“I,” Charles announced, stepping back and finally straightening his tie. “have a threat to put into action.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry not sorry for the handful of horrible references.


End file.
